Accumulator for air conditioning system

ABSTRACT

An air conditioning system of a vehicle includes a compressor and an evaporator, and an accumulator includes a canister having a chamber for receiving a refrigerant, an inlet tube coupled to the canister and the evaporator for receiving the refrigerant from the evaporator, a U-shaped pipe situated in the canister and having an inlet portion for receiving a gaseous component of the refrigerant, and having an outlet portion coupled to the compressor, and a filter device is attached to the inlet portion of the pipe for preventing debris from entering into the inlet portion of the pipe and for preventing the compressor from being damaged by the debris.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an accumulator for an automotive airconditioning system, and more particularly to an accumulator including afilter device attached to the accumulator inlet opening for preventingparticles or dirt or debris from entering into the inlet opening and forpreventing the accumulator from being damaged by the particles or dirtor debris.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical automotive air conditioning systems comprise a compressordisposed in the engine compartment for compressing a refrigerant, and acondenser as a heat exchanger that sits in front of the engine radiator,a hot compressed refrigerant gas may enter into the condenser, therefrigerant easily releases its heat to the air rushing past thecondenser fins. An evaporator is also a heat exchanger that sits in thepassenger compartment, as the air flows past the evaporator fins, therefrigerant absorbs the heat and carries it away from the evaporator,and by removing the heat from the air, it becomes cooler, and the cooledair may enter into the passenger compartment. The expanded refrigerantis then returned to the compressor where it is again compressed and thecycle repeats.

The refrigerant loop is coupled to the compressor with a manifold havingan inlet port communicating with the low pressure side of the compressorand an outlet port communicating with the high pressure side of thecompressor. High pressure compressed refrigerant is delivered to thecondenser through a hose coupled to the high pressure port, and theexpanded refrigerant is delivered back to the compressor forrecompression through a hose coupled to the low pressure port.

An evaporator and an accumulator will be coupled to the condenser andthen coupled to the compressor, and the accumulator is provided forreceiving the refrigerant from the evaporator and for acting as aliquid-gas separator in order to separate the liquid component of therefrigerant from the gaseous component before the gaseous component isreturned to the compressor.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,035 to Amin et al. discloses one of thetypical domed accumulators including a domed baffle plate in itsinterior adjacent the accumulator inlet opening for dispersing theliquid portion of the refrigerant to the sides of the accumulator andfor accommodating the gaseous portion of the refrigerant in the upperregion of the accumulator adjacent the accumulator inlet opening.

However, the accumulator inlet opening is opened, and particles or dirtor debris may also have a good chance to enter or to be blown into theaccumulator inlet opening due to the high pressure within theaccumulator such that the accumulator may also have a good chance to bedamaged by the particles or dirt or debris inadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,844 to Lyman et al. discloses another typical liquidaccumulator including an inlet end formed with a flared or trumpet shapethat forms a baffle to prevent liquid entry into the return pipe.

However, similarly, the inlet end of the typical liquid accumulator isalso opened, and particles or dirt or debris may also have a good chanceto enter or to be blown into the inlet end of the typical liquidaccumulator due to the high pressure within the accumulator such thatthe accumulator may also have a good chance to be damaged by theparticles or dirt or debris inadvertently.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional accumulators forautomotives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide anaccumulator including a filter device attached to the accumulator inletopening for preventing particles or dirt or debris from entering intothe inlet opening and for preventing the accumulator from being damagedby the particles or dirt or debris.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided anaccumulator for an air conditioning system of a vehicle which comprisesa compressor and an evaporator, the accumulator comprising a canisterincluding a chamber formed therein for receiving a refrigerant, andincluding a ceiling, an inlet tube coupled to the canister and theevaporator for receiving the refrigerant from the evaporator and forallowing the refrigerant to be supplied into the chamber of thecanister, a U-shaped pipe including a lower portion situated in a lowerregion of the chamber of the canister, and including an inlet portionsituated adjacent the ceiling of the canister for receiving a gaseouscomponent of the refrigerant, and including an outlet portion coupled tothe compressor for supplying the gaseous component of the refrigerant tothe compressor, and a filter device attached to the inlet portion of thepipe for preventing debris from entering into the inlet portion of thepipe and for preventing the compressor from being damaged by the debris.

The filter device includes a receptacle disposed in the canister andhaving a mouth fitted to the inlet portion of the pipe, and having acompartment formed in the receptacle and formed by an outer peripheralwall and communicating with the inlet portion of the pipe for receivingand supplying the gaseous component of the refrigerant to the inletportion of the pipe.

The receptacle includes a filter screen attached onto the outerperipheral wall of the receptacle for shielding the compartment of thereceptacle and for preventing the debris from entering into thecompartment of the receptacle.

The receptacle includes an inner peripheral flange, and the filterscreen is secured to the inner peripheral flange. The receptacle mayfurther include at least one reinforcing rib, and the filter screen issecured to the reinforcing rib.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan schematic view illustrating an air conditioning systemof an automobile including an accumulator in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the accumulator;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the accumulator, taken alonglines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a filter device for attachingto the accumulator; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the filter device for theaccumulator, taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, illustrated is anair conditioning system 1 for such as an automobile or vehicle (notshown), and the air conditioning system 1 comprises a compressor 10disposed in the engine compartment for compressing a refrigerant and fordelivering the compressed refrigerant to a condenser 11, and thecompressed refrigerant will be expanded in the condenser 11 for chillingthe condenser 11, and air will be blown through the chilled condenser 11which cools the air, and the cooled air will then flow into thepassenger compartment to cool the vehicle. The expanded refrigerant isthen supplied to an orifice tube or expander 12 which may lower thepressure of the refrigerant, and then supplied to an evaporator 14 whichmay change the status of the refrigerant from liquid to gas.

The gaseous refrigerant may include a lowered pressure and will then bereturned to the compressor 10 where the refrigerant is again compressedand the cycle repeats. The air conditioning system 1 further comprises,in accordance with the present invention an accumulator 3 coupledbetween the compressor 10 and the evaporator 14 and provided forreceiving the evaporated refrigerant from the evaporator 14 and foracting as a liquid-gas separator in order to separate the liquidcomponent of the refrigerant from the gaseous component before thegaseous component is returned to the compressor 10. As shown in FIGS. 2and 3, the accumulator 3 includes a cylindrical canister 30 having alower housing 31 and an upper casing 32 secured together at anoverlapping juncture or annual weld 33 for forming an enclosed chamber34 in the canister 30 of the accumulator 3.

The accumulator 3 includes an inlet fitting or tube 35 coupled to thecanister 30 and the evaporator 14 for receiving the evaporatedrefrigerant 80 from the evaporator 14 and for allowing the refrigerant80 to be flown or supplied into the chamber 34 of the cylindricalcanister 30, and includes a U-shaped pipe 40 having a curved lowerportion 41 received or situated in the lower region of the chamber 34 ofthe cylindrical canister 30, and having an inlet portion 42 extendedupwardly into the upper casing 32 and adjacent the top or ceiling 36 ofthe cylindrical canister 30 for receiving the evaporated or gaseouscomponent of the refrigerant 80, and having an outlet portion 43extended outwardly through the upper casing 32 and coupled to thecompressor 10 for supplying the evaporated or gaseous component of therefrigerant 80 to the compressor 10 and to be compressed by thecompressor 10 again. The above-described structure is typical and willnot be described in further details.

The accumulator 3 in accordance with the present invention furthercomprises a filter device 50 attached to the accumulator inlet portion42 of the pipe 40 for preventing particles or dirt or debris fromentering into the inlet portion 42 of the pipe 40 and for preventing theaccumulator 3 and/or the compressor 10 from being damaged by theparticles or dirt or debris. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the filterdevice 50 includes a receptacle 51 for fitting or engaging into theupper casing 32 or the upper portion of the cylindrical canister 30, andhaving a mouth 52 attached or engaged or fitted or secured onto theinlet portion 42 of the pipe 40, and having a compartment 53 formed inthe receptacle 51 and formed or defined by an outer peripheral wall 54and communicating with the inlet portion 42 of the pipe 40 for receivingthe evaporated or gaseous component of the refrigerant 80 and forsupplying the evaporated or gaseous component of the refrigerant 80 tothe inlet portion 42 of the pipe 40.

The filter device 50 further includes a filter screen 55 attached ontothe outer peripheral wall 54 of the receptacle 51 for shielding thecompartment 53 of the receptacle 51 and for preventing particles or dirtor debris from entering into the compartment 53 of the receptacle 51 andthus for preventing the particles or dirt or debris from entering intothe compressor 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the receptacle 51 may include aninner peripheral flange 56 and one or more reinforcing ribs 57 molded orformed in the upper portion of the receptacle 51, and the filter screen55 may be attached or engaged onto the upper portion of the receptacle51 and secured to the upper portion of the receptacle 51 and/or theinner peripheral flange 56 and the reinforcing ribs 57 by such as theultrasonic welding processes.

It is to be noted that, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer peripheralwall 54 of the receptacle 51 may be formed into any suitable outercontour or configuration or structure or shape and arranged for allowingthe outer peripheral wall 54 of the receptacle 51 to be snugly fittedinto the upper casing 32 or the upper portion of the cylindricalcanister 30 and to be secured and retained in the upper casing 32 or theupper portion of the cylindrical canister 30 with the upper casing 32and/or the outlet portion 43 of the pipe 40 and/or the inlet portion 42of the pipe 40 without additional fasteners or latches and thus forallowing the filter device 50 to be easily and readily attached orfitted or engaged into the canister 30 without additional tools orfasteners.

Accordingly, the accumulator in accordance with the present inventionincludes a filter device attached to the accumulator inlet opening forpreventing particles or dirt or debris from entering into the inletopening and for preventing the accumulator from being damaged by theparticles or dirt or debris.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. An accumulator for an air conditioning system of a vehicle whichcomprises a compressor and an evaporator, said accumulator comprising: acanister including a chamber formed therein for receiving a refrigerant,and including a ceiling, an inlet tube coupled to said canister and saidevaporator for receiving the refrigerant from said evaporator and forallowing the refrigerant to be supplied into said chamber of saidcanister, a U-shaped pipe including a lower portion situated in a lowerregion of said chamber of said canister, and including an inlet portionsituated adjacent said ceiling of said canister for receiving a gaseouscomponent of the refrigerant, and including an outlet portion coupled tothe compressor for supplying the gaseous component of the refrigerant tothe compressor, and a filter device attached to said inlet portion ofsaid pipe for preventing debris from entering into said inlet portion ofsaid pipe and for preventing the compressor from being damaged by thedebris.
 2. The accumulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said filterdevice includes a receptacle disposed in said canister and having amouth fitted to said inlet portion of said pipe, and having acompartment formed in said receptacle and formed by an outer peripheralwall and communicating with said inlet portion of said pipe forreceiving and supplying the gaseous component of the refrigerant to saidinlet portion of said pipe.
 3. The accumulator as claimed in claim 2,wherein said receptacle includes a filter screen attached onto saidouter peripheral wall of said receptacle for shielding said compartmentof said receptacle and for preventing the debris from entering into thecompartment of said receptacle.
 4. The accumulator as claimed in claim3, wherein said receptacle includes an inner peripheral flange, and saidfilter screen is secured to said inner peripheral flange.
 5. Theaccumulator as claimed in claim 3, wherein said receptacle includes atleast one reinforcing rib, and said filter screen is secured to said atleast one reinforcing rib.